Senate Cap-and-Trade Bill Approved

Released November 6, 2009

Despite the boycott and protest of Republicans, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Democrats led by Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA) approved the Senate Cap-and-Trade Bill (S. 1733) on November 5 by a 10-1 vote. All of the Republicans on the Committee and Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) abstained from voting; Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) was the lone “no” vote. Procedural rules prevented the Democrats from considering any amendments because Republicans were not present at the committee mark-up.

Sen. Baucus (D-MT) voted against the legislation in part because the committee was unable to consider a less aggressive set of emission limits in 2020. Baucus explained that he would play a role as the debate moves forward as chairman of the Finance Committee and as a senior member of the Agriculture Panel.

Republicans wanted to postpone the mark-up until the Environmental Protection Agency had issued a more comprehensive economic analysis of the bill–a process which could take up to five weeks. When Sen. Boxer made it clear she was going to move forward with the mark-up, the Republicans decided to boycott.

The expedited and partisan move by Sen. Boxer to approve the bill without minority participation has been criticized by moderate Senate Republicans including Sens. Lindsey Graham (SC), Judd Gregg (NH), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Richard Lugar (IN) and Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe (ME). These Senators are seen as critical to reach 60 votes.

For more information, contact Alicia Oman, Metalcasting Alliance for Government Affairs Washington Office, at 202/842-4864 or ao@wafed.com.